Ready, Settle, Go! Program Overview

Since 2007, the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation has been delivering settlement services through the Ready SETTLE Go Program to over 18,000 newly arrived migrants and refugees residing in the west. Currently funded by the Department of Social Service, the program supports approximately 2,000 new Australians per year in accessing mainstream services through utilising the unifying power of recreational activities and sports as the conduit to introduce Australian culture and values whilst promoting personal wellbeing and social connectedness.

The Ready SETTLE Go program offers a range of community focused health education, leadership, youth and employability programs in the light of meaningful partnerships and referral pathways with organisations and services in the west.

Ready Settle Go is delivered throughout 35 different venues across the western Melbourne SSD and Melton-Wyndham SSDs, in particular the local government authorities of Wyndham, Hobsons Bay, Melton, Maribyrnong and Brimbank.

Focus client groups are permanent residents who have arrived in the last five years as:

humanitarian entrants

family stream migrants with low English proficiency

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If you would like further information about Western Bulldogs Community Foundation and our programs, please click here to find out how to get in touch.

Program Outcomes

Clients will develop transferable life skills through training in leadership and community development.

They will also develop a strong connectedness to Australian culture, not only by learning about it but by participating and potentially contributing to it by connecting to recreational sports. Their settlement journey is facilitated by understanding and using the English language and jargon of Australian sports.

They are given the opportunities to belong to, participate in and contribute to a community outside a classroom setting.

Our health, sports and youth focused recreational activities, give clients the opportunity to achieve greater self-reliance. This has been evidenced by increased confidence to foster friendships, which help to reduce social isolation, awareness of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and increased confidence to access settlement and mainstream services.

Our leadership recognition and ongoing volunteering opportunities, regular support, guidance and mentoring, as well as the provision of culturally appropriate and accessible resources, also supports clients to increase their skills, confidence and ability to actively engage in their community and increase their knowledge and ability to access youth services and youth-focused health services.

Our programs are delivered in partnership with multiple community service organisation; NGOs and government associations, national and state sporting bodies, health and youth specific organisations and other settlement service providers, this in turn allows us to avoid duplication of services and increase awareness of clients’ needs across the industry.

For more information on the Ready Settle Go Sub-Programs, please click here.